Page 56 of The Secret Holiday Kiss

Lars’s eyes twinkled. ‘And you’ll be overseeing it.’

She nodded. ‘I’ll be on site a couple more times this month, and available by phone or FaceTime whenever you need me.’ His smile faltered, and she felt a flickering of doubt. ‘That’s just how I work,’ she said gently. ‘I often have several projects on at once, and the contractors don’t need me micromanaging.’

‘But right now you only have this project.’

‘I’ve actually got a couple at home,’ she told him. ‘There’s a new build in Mistingham. It’s in a traditional style, it’s ambitious and impressive, and I’m helping with the interior design. There are also events to plan for Christmas. It’s a lot of fun, but there’s so much to manage.’

‘In your seaside village?’ He raised an eyebrow, lips twisted in a smirk.

‘Hey.’ She laughed. ‘The locals make the most of Christmas, there’s a real emphasis on community, and they take it seriously. It’s so different from London – where I live, anyway.’ She hadn’t even known that the flat above hers, where her leak started, was empty. In Mistingham, she could put together a map of where most people lived.

‘What about when you go back?’ Lars asked. ‘You don’t want your ambition to be dulled. Swap hotels with international clientele for rural homes and Christmas twinkles.’

‘Would that be so bad, though?’ She smiled, thinking of how beautiful Mistingham was with its Christmas finery on.

‘Daisy,’ he said with a laugh. ‘You have too much talent for … this.’ He gestured around the restaurant, and she supposed he meant Norwich.

‘Lars,’ she said seriously, ‘you have moved to this. You’re living here now, opening a business here. Am I supposed to say something about your lack of ambition?’ She raised her eyebrow, keeping it light. She didn’t love what he was saying, but she didn’t want to come across as defensive.

‘This is just the start for me. I will have an empire of irresistible establishments. Once City Drift is successful, I’ll build on it. Cafés, restaurants. A coastal hotel. The possibilities are endless.’

Daisy pictured Winnie standing behind her reception desk, the huge, shimmering Christmas tree that couldn’t fail to bring a smile to the face of everyone who saw it. Mistingham wasn’t big enough for two hotels. But Lars wasn’t necessarily talking about Mistingham, was he? She had internalized Avery’s suspicions. God. She couldn’t imagine him telling her she was too talented for Norfolk. But now wasn’t the time to think about Avery.

‘You’ll need interior designers for all those projects,’ she reminded Lars. ‘Are you saying that whoever you choose will be someone you don’t respect, because they’re working in a provincial city rather than Europe or London?’

Lars was about to reply when their food arrived, and Daisy breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing she wanted was for this dinner to turn antagonistic.

She glugged her wine, smiled when Lars topped it up, then dug into her food. It was delicious, the chicken tender, the sauce creamy and potent, the potatoes with just the right amount of bite. There was at least three times too much butter, but right now she was happy about that.

‘You know …’ Lars said, after a few minutes of quiet.

‘Know what?’ she prompted, when he failed to finish the sentence.

‘You know I want you to work with me on all these projects. There isn’t anybody else who has the vision, the originality I need. Surely I’ve made that clear?’

‘I would love to, Lars, but I can’t commit to that right now. Things are so up in the air for me, and—’

‘You managed projects all over the continent while living in London,’ he reminded her. ‘Surely Norwich isn’t a step too far?’

‘It’s not that, it’s …’ She didn’t know how to reply. Would she want to be connected to Norwich once she was back in London? Before, the answer would have been no. Now, she wasn’t so sure. ‘Let’s focus on City Drift,’ she said. ‘Don’t look too far ahead because you don’t know what twists and turns you’ll find along the way.’ And you might be entirely unprepared for them, she added silently.

Lars gazed at her, looking handsome in the low lighting. He made her feel wanted, she had enjoyed their flirting, and he was the sort of man that, in the past, she would have been drawn to. He was familiar, somehow, and she felt as if she could predict all his moves in advance. But she’d kissed Avery, she loved kissing Avery, and she didn’t want to give that up. She felt more alive with him than she’d done in a long time, and even their argument hadn’t put her off; it had only made her more determined to help him. Also, she didn’t intend to mess up this project by getting tangled up with her client.

Over dessert, a delicate tarte au citron, then a coffee and a large brandy that Lars insisted she have, Daisy steered their discussion towards easier things: City Drift and his plans for Christmas – flying over to Madrid to stay with friends. She relaxed and began to enjoy herself. He was funny and confident, and even when it edged towards arrogance, his charm softened the effect.

Lars insisted on paying the bill, and the waiter collected Daisy’s coat and scarf. The restaurant was hot, the tables still busy, diners lingering over after dinner drinks, so the cold was a shock when they stepped outside. She stopped to wrap her scarf around her neck, and turned to say goodnight to Lars.

‘Thank you for dinner.’

He ran his hands down her arms. ‘I have the penthouse flat in my building. It looks out over the river.’

She laughed. ‘I know how irresistible river views are; I have one in London.’ She tried to ignore the shiver working its way down her spine.

‘You could come back with me. We could look over the timeline, explore the pressure points.’

‘We’ve established those,’ she said gently. ‘We’re where we need to be.’

‘You’re not where I want you to be.’